The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel Club "Puppy of The Year" and "Cavalier Of The Year" challenges were held at The Honiley Court Hotel, Honiley, Warwick on Sunday 9^th September 2012.

A total of 79 Cavaliers qualified for Puppy Of The Year, 34 accepting the invitation to compete and a total of 65 Cavaliers qualified for Cavalier Of The Year, 20 accepting the invitation to compete.

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The Cavalier Club first started the Puppy of the Year competition in 1995 and has been holding it, set in a match format, each year since then. The criteria for qualification has always been a win in minor puppy or puppy at all ch shows and best puppy in breed at ch shows, between two given dates.

However, this year we felt we’d like to revamp the event and almost start again from scratch, so decided to extend the competition to include Cavalier of the Year, and make it a really lovely, prestigious event in the Cavalier calendar.

So, each CC and RCC winner from every championship show between Leeds 2011 and Paignton 2012 qualified, and would be invited to compete. It was also decided that a panel of judges would be appointed, rather than just one, and that they would remain ‘unknown’ until the day.

We welcomed the exhibitors and spectators, including some visitors and Cavalier enthusiasts from ‘across the pond’ to the CKCS Clubs’ Inaugural Puppy of the Year and Cavalier of the Year Event 2012.

Each person attending enjoyed a nice cup of tea and bacon roll before the competition commenced.

The puppies were divided by sex and then by age, with three groups for each sex – up to 12 months, 12 – 18 months and over 18 months. The judges for the Puppy of the Year event were announced as:

• Breed specialist Katie Sloan (Turretbank);
• Well known all rounder Jane Lilley (Kensing);
• Breed specialist of ‘yesteryear’ Caroline Gatheral (Kershope).

Each dogs’ number was entered into a hat, and the match draw was made by the judges in front of everyone attending. The judges went over each dog individually and then assessed movement as a trio, before each of them wrote down their winner from that round and handed it to the steward, who announced the puppy going through. Once each age group had been judged the three winners then competed for best of sex. Overall winners were:

• Puppy of the Year Michelle Chapmans’ blen bitch, Ellemich Exclamation
• Runner up Ted Rogerson’s ruby boy, Rabymar Super Ted

A sit down buffet lunch was enjoyed by all, while the raffle was drawn which had on offer some super prizes donated by both the committee and the membership. We were delighted that it raised a bumper amount of £320.

We then moved onto Cavalier of the Year.

Because a number of the puppies competing had also qualified for this competition, it was decided to replace one of the judges thus creating a ‘new’ panel. Therefore Miss Gatheral graciously stepped aside and we welcomed Mary Rees (Symra Cavaliers) into the fray. The same procedure was repeated, with Mrs Rees drawing the numbers for the competing adults. After just under two hours deliberation the climax of the competition had arrived and Cavalier of the Year was awarded to:

• Debbie Coole’s blen bitch, Jolainey Sugar Babe
• Reserve Elaine Williams’ ruby bitch, Sorata Barley Wine Sancana
• Best Dog was Levy, Sedgwick and Clines’ blen, Am Ch Forestcreek Dream On

As with any brand new event being held in a new venue, there were a few ‘teething’ issues, but we hope that once these have been addressed and ironed out, that this will become a date in the calendar not to be missed by Cavalier enthusiasts.

LUCY KOSTER